# desk vs DSM

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### desk
*noun · IPA /dɛsk/ · frequency rank #3,423*
A table, frame, or case, in past centuries usually with a sloping top but now usually with a flat top, for the use of writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.

### DSM
*name · frequency rank #24,148*
Initialism of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-02.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desk-vs-dsm